


Second person familiar

by Jack Ironsides (JackIronsides)



Category: The Witcher (TV), Wiedźmin | The Witcher - All Media Types, Wiedźmin | The Witcher Series - Andrzej Sapkowski
Genre: Gen, Languages and Linguistics, if Netflix won't show them being friends then by gum i'll do it myself, pronouns as a form of intimacy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-05
Updated: 2020-11-05
Packaged: 2021-03-09 00:27:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 399
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27395698
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JackIronsides/pseuds/Jack%20Ironsides
Summary: ‘Geralt!’ Jaskier exclaimed. He sounded delighted. ‘Did you just “thee” me?’
Relationships: Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia & Jaskier | Dandelion
Comments: 58
Kudos: 369





	Second person familiar

‘Mayhap if thou couldst _stopper thy mouth_ , thou wouldst find sleep less fleeting,’ Geralt grumbled, turning over. He had _almost been asleep_ that time.

‘Geralt!’ Jaskier exclaimed. He sounded delighted. This did not bode well for Geralt’s chances at sleep.

‘What?’ he said testily.

‘Did you just “thee” me?’

‘No,’ said Geralt, choosing denial as his coping mechanism of choice.

It wasn’t, sadly, a technique that tended to be very effective against Jaskier, and this time was no exception.

‘You did!’ said Jaskier. ‘You can deny it all you want, but I know what I heard. A musician needs to have very sensitive hearing.’

‘Hmm,’ said Geralt, screwing his eyes closed and hoping for the best.

‘I think it makes you sound like a poet,’ said Jaskier dreamily. ‘That kind of old-fashioned turn of phrase.’

Geralt rolled his eyes. He turned over to face Jaskier, who was lying on his back and staring at the ceiling.

‘Do I still sound poetic if I’m calling you a mewling whoreson or a flap-mouthed flesh-monger?’

‘Depends on the poet,’ returned Jaskier, undaunted. ‘When I write my hundred-stanza epic detailing Valdo Marx’s failings, then yes.’

Geralt snorted.

‘It must be odd,’ Jaskier said quietly. ‘When the rest of the world changes on you and you have to run to catch up.’

‘I _liked_ thou,’ grumbled Geralt into Jaskier’s shoulder. ‘It was easier to insult people.’

‘I’m sure,’ said Jaskier. ‘I studied literature, you know.’

‘Hmm,’ said Geralt.

‘I know what thou means,’ Jaskier continued. ‘I know it’s used for people you’re close to. You can’t pull that “we’re not friends” nonsense on me again.’

‘It’s also for your social inferiors,’ sniped Geralt. ‘Go to _sleep_.’

‘Yes, but you’ve told me how Vesemir gave you lectures on how to behave on the Path, before you left Kaer Morhen. And I know how the world treats witchers well enough. He told you to use the formal “you” in most circumstances, didn’t he?’

Geralt was silent.

‘ _Thought_ so,’ said Jaskier. ‘So I’m going to continue to be chuffed that your half-asleep self thinks of me as thee.’

He turned on his side and let Geralt curl up behind him. Before long, his breathing evened out, and he was asleep. Even though he had a witcher at his back. He was far too trusting.

‘No more brain than a stone,’ murmured Geralt, before he, too, was asleep.

**Author's Note:**

> I was reading a post on the grammar of Early Modern English, and started idly thinking about the linguistic change that Geralt would have seen over his long life. Then this happened.
> 
> And yeah, considering how witchers are treated by wider society, I suspect that they would have been expected to use ‘you’ with a great many more people than even your average peasant. Whether or not Geralt actually did (he’s often fantastically rude when the situation requires) is entirely a different question. (And one I could write an entire essay about, tbh.)
> 
> You can find me over on tumblr at [jackironsides](https://jackironsides.tumblr.com), or at [jackironsidesfic](https://jackironsidesfic.tumblr.com) for just the fic and fic bits.


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